DIY Beach Bag

October 14, 2013

I like to think I’m creative but someone called me a “DIY girl” the other day and I had a little laugh. It isn’t how I would describe myself, but I when examining that, I guess it’s actually a little true.

I love making and creating – be it words via my blog and my radio show, photography, items etc.

When I was looking for a fabric shop in Cape Town to buy the gold thread for the floral crown I made (OK, I’m seeing the DIY point) I just saw so many beautiful fabrics. This was happening in my head:

Looking at aztec print: That would look gorgeous as a blazer.

Looking at bright turquoise floaty material: This would make such a gorgeous maxi skirt.

Oh my gosh, imagine a scrouchy tee shirt in THAT fabric!

And so it went on.

I tweeted something about my experience and I got a tweet from @createhobby mentioning that I should give them a try some time and they’d teach me and show me how.

Later that week I received a gorgeous invitation to join them for an afternoon.

I arrived at the most beautiful studio – I honestly couldn’t stop gushing about how stunning it was. It has such a lovely energy.

Clever storage ideas

Andrea is as warm and lovely as her studio and we hit it off immediately. Cups of tea later and we were ready.

She was going to teach me how to make my own bag – a beach bag.

Perfect.

The material and pattern was out and it was time to get started. We had the fabric for the bag, the fabric for the lining and then fusing fabric. The fusing fabric gets ironed onto the back of the bag fabric to make it a little more stiff.

I felt a little apprehensive. I hadn’t sewn anything since high school.

It definitely brought back nostalgic memories of that and of my mom sewing when she had her knitwear and fashion business.

Sadly you can’t see how glittery this is – it’s the lining for the bag. Just beautiful.

Yes mom – PROOF. I really was ironing.

Rolling the edges over to that I can press them down.

Pressing the edges down.

Ahem… If I may brag – look at those neat corners…

and my neat (almost straight) sewing…

See my neatly pressed edges with the fabric and glittery lining?

Ta-Da!!! My very own beach bag.

I had so much fun and the time literally flew. I also had such a fantastic feeling of proud accomplishment.

I switched off from the bustle of the world and enjoyed the textures of the material, the comforting (familiar) sound of the sewing machine and the feeling of creating.

Andrea is so lovely and patient and she does a number of different things from various classes, private lessons (like I had), kiddies parties, projects and so much more.